Large Cardano whales have continued to accumulate ADA, pushing their combined holdings to the highest level since February 2023.
The largest Cardano holders are steadily increasing their holdings, even as ADA looks weak. In contrast, retail participants continue to trim their positions, as they start to grow impatient with the persistent price trend.
The divergence between large and small holders has become one of the healthiest trends emerging on the Cardano network.
ADA Whales Increase Holdings While Retail Pulls Back
On-chain data from Santiment shows wallets holding between 100,000 and 100 million ADA now control more than 25.6 billion ADA.
The market intelligence platform highlighted that this marks their largest collective balance since February 2023. The milestone comes after roughly four months of consistent accumulation, as some of the network’s biggest participants take advantage of the weak market sentiment.
An accompanying chart highlights a steady rise in the balance held by wallets containing between 100,000 and 100 million ADA. Over the past four months, these addresses have increased their holdings by approximately 1.8%, lifting the total supply under their control to the current level.
At the same time, wallets holding fewer than 100 ADA have moved in the opposite direction. Their collective balance has fallen by around 0.7% during the same period, indicating they have gradually reduced their exposure.
According to Santiment, this contrast reflects different reactions to the same market condition. Specifically, larger holders are accumulating during periods of uncertainty, while retail traders are growing impatient after prolonged price weakness.
The firm noted that although this pattern does not guarantee a price reversal, it suggests confidence among whales, especially at a time when the crypto market is weak. Large holders are gradually deploying capital to buy the dip, moving the asset’s supply to wallets known to hold long-term.
Cardano Still Building Despite Weak Price Action
Cardano has struggled throughout 2026, dropping 52% YTD. The correction has taken ADA to levels last seen in 2020. Also, it has tested investor confidence, with small wallets slowly giving in to market pressure
Despite the bearish trend, Santiment emphasized that the Cardano ecosystem has continued building. The network is still consistently implementing progressive initiatives, according to its development roadmap.
Some of them include the Leios testnet launch in June, ongoing improvements to Hydra scaling, and continued progress on Mithril. Cardano has also integrated the Pyth oracles, further boosting institutional traction.
These upgrades aim to strengthen the network’s infrastructure in the long term, positioning Cardano for mainstream adoption when attention starts to return to crypto.
Santiment highlighted that while it does not look like it now, the combination of whale accumulation and network building is bullish for Cardano. It called this setup one of the healthiest that ADA has shown all year.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
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